Kincheonville

Kincheonville was established in 1865 by formerly enslaved person Thomas Kincheon (or Kinchion). The area existed within the boundaries of the Paisano Trail, Davis Lane, Brodie Lane, and Longview Road. Kincheon developed a successful farm of nearly 300 acres with a number of tenants. Unlike other freedmen communities, Kincheonville had a diverse population with Black, Hispanic and Anglo settlers. 

Kincheonville was a primarily farming community until Kincheon’s son, Thomas Wesley Kincheon II (born in 1870) promoted its development. With the assistance of his own son, Thomas Wesley Kincheon III, they subdivided and platted a southern portion of the family’s land to crean Kincheon Subdivision Sections 1 and 2 in the early 1950s. The area includes seven streets which are named after his children including Minnie, Blumie, James Ander, and Thomas Kincheon.

Dunn’s Memorial Baptist Church at 3416 Elija Street is an active Black church within the community. It was organized in 1957 by Reverend Robert M. Dunn and through efforts of the St. John Regular Missionary Baptist Association. Today, the original area has been altered by modern infill development and most structures are non-historic age homes. The small number of earlier homes in the neighborhood are single-story, minimal traditional-style houses from the mid-twentieth century. One home at 3421 Minnie Street appears to be much older than the other homes in the area. It is a Folk Victorian-style home with a shed-roof front porch; tall, narrow two-over-two-light wood windows; and an original door with leaded glass and a transom. The house does not appear on historic aerials until after 1954, indicating that it may have been moved to this location at that time. The community is bordered on the east by Longview Park and on the north by the Stephenson Nature Preserve and Outdoor Education Center. A small farmstead with a house and outbuildings remains along the east side of Longview Road south of the park.

Zion Rest Missionary Baptist Church was established in 1903 and is a part of the St. John Regular Missionary Baptist Association. A school was also developed at that time and would originally meet in the church building. According to information on the church’s website, the original plot of land for the church was donated by three community members: Mr. Strickland (or Strickling), Joe Davis, and Rick Dawson. One of the early church leaders was Reverend Elijah Kincheon, a descendant of the community’s founder. A new church building was erected in 1963 and a second sanctuary was built in 1987. Both of these structures remain in use today. Kincheonville is commemorated by an Official Texas Historical Marker which is located on Paisan Trail on the grounds of the Zion Rest Missionary Baptist Church.

Information provided by the African-American Settlement Survey Travis County, Texas prepared by prepared by Hicks & Company Elizabeth Porterfield, MSHP for Travis County Historical Commission.

This information was supplemented by archivist at the University of North Texas, Michelle Mears, from her book And Grace Will Lead Me Home African American Freedmen Communities of Austin, Texas, 1865-1928.

We recognize that this research is ongoing, drawing extensively from historical documents, archives, and oral histories passed down through generations.

Given the evolving nature of information, it is important to note that details may change. And while inaccuracies may arise, we actively strive to update our records as we acquire new knowledge.